Pumpkin Jack is a superb game, but its flaws come baring teeth once the glass shatters and you start to notice them. The combat is fun and rewarding, the writing and story are fantastic, but there are certain parts of the game that fall short. Plus, for no more than 3 hours of playtime to finish, that $30 price tag is pretty hefty. Putting that aside, every single moment of that short playtime is fantastic. I loved every minute of it, and there’s no doubt that developer Nicolas Meyssonnier made something extra special here.

Pumpkin Jack is a comedic and innocently evil game that is perfect for fans of the spooky season. The linear story, the variety of puzzles and the charmingly spooky graphics create a wonderful game that most players will find a lot of enjoyment in. So, what are you waiting for? Halloween fun awaits!

A fun old-school platform game, full of fresh ideas and hilarious references, which if not suffering from a lack of resources, it would easily stand among its genre’s big heads.

An exquisitely old-fashioned adventure, modest in ambitions and dignified in realization.

Pumpkin Jack is a charmingly old-school game that would fit perfectly into the PS1 era. It’s colorful, full of humor, and offers huge, well-designed levels. It tries many different ways to mix up the gameplay, which is great, but all these efforts are too safe to bring any real surprises. [13/2020, p.71]

Pumpkin Jack is a funny little game, a perfect match for Halloween.

Ultimately, players' enjoyment of Pumpkin Jack will crux on how nostalgic they are for the 3D action platformers of yesteryear. The makings of a great game are definitely here, with witty dialogue, a wonderful selection of fun mini-games, and some serviceable platforming. But, outside of its clear homages and lofty inspirations, Pumpkin Jack feels like it has nothing new to say and no modern insights to add. It ultimately winds up a jack of all trades but a master of none, offering plenty of ideas rife with potential but never honing in on one long enough to make it stand out.